I Love the Way Your Tiger Hair Shines Under the Sun
by 1 Hungry Wolf
Summary: COMPLETE - Hiro clenched his jaw . I can't punch her. That's something Kyo would do. I wont do that. I'm better than that. I wont be like Kyo, I wont be like Kyo. . .Resigned to his fate, he fumed quietly to himself, cursing himself for being as idiotic as Kyo. Putting a love letter in a box he was fifty percent sure belonged to Kisa was, without a doubt, stupid.
1. Chapter 1

Kisa Sohma stood proudly on her front porch and smiled sweetly at her mother, whom was standing at the doorway.

Her mother smiled back and raised the camera in front of her, snapping a photo of the young Kisa in her new high school uniform - - a sailor outfit. "Have a nice day. I'll see you after school."

Kisa smiled brightly and nodded her head." Mm-hm."

With her skirt swaying, Kisa bounded down the stone steps, quickly closing the small iron gate of their new house behind her. It was her first day of high school and she did not want to be late. She noticed a quick movement from the corner of her eye. She turned her head slowly, her large, yellow eyes settling on a skinny tree across the street. She tilted her head to the side. Tufts of brown hair, and part of Hiro's ear were clearly visible_. _

Kisa gently touched her lips with her fingers. _Should I say hi?_

"Kisa!"

Kisa turned her head to the left, her friend, Ren, waved energetically at her from down the sidewalk. Kisa smiled and waved back, even from this distance Ren's thick-framed glasses stood out from her face."Hurry Kisa! We're going to be late!"

Kisa turned back towards the skinny tree. Hiro was still hiding behind it, hiding from her.

"Coming!" Kisa shouted, sprinting towards Ren. The two girls giggled as they set off to school.

**.+.+.+.+.**

Hiro Sohma sighed." That was close. She almost saw me." Clutching the white envelope close to his chest, he sucked in air." Today is the day Kisa will become my girlfriend." His heart fluttered as he said these words. After years of waiting, he'd finally gathered the courage to confess his feelings for her. Everyone in the Sohma family knew Hiro loved Kisa more than anything- - even the scatterbrained Tohru Honda knew- - except Kisa.

In Kisa's eyes, Hiro was just a good friend.

But after today, Hiro would finally leave the friend zone and become Kisa's boyfriend!

* * *

**_I actually wrote this story back in 2012. I've decided to rewrite it. Hopefully everyone will enjoy reading it ^_^_**


	2. Chapter 2

"Kisa..." Ren glanced over her shoulder." Is Hiro feeling okay?"

Kisa looked back in time to see Hiro dash behind a parked car. Kisa frowned.

Ren giggled, tugging on Kisa's arm playfully." He's cute. Does he have a girlfriend?"

Ignoring Ren's question, Kisa pulled her into the school, unable to control the urge to get Ren away from Hiro. Just a little longer. . .she wanted to keep Hiro to herself.

.+.+.+.+.

Kisa bent down and removed her shoes, placing them in the small square-shaped cubby closest to the floor. Ren took the cubby beside hers, placing her shoes inside and grabbing the grey slippers to wear instead. Every student and teacher must do this in order to keep the school clean. A simple and quick procedure, at least it should have been.

Kisa pretended not to see Hiro's face smushed against the glass window from the corner of her eye. She wished the other students, and Ren, would do the same and ignore Hiro.

The boys laughed, quickly removing their shoes and slipping into their slippers, taking no further interest in Hiro as they headed for class.

The girls had a completely different reaction from the boys. Many gathered by the window, blocking Hiro's view of Kisa, each wanting to be noticed by the coolest, most handsome boy in school.

Including Ren.


	3. Chapter 3

_**I know Kisa and Hiro aren't one of the most popular pairings, but I think they're adorable. I'm also year of the sheep, and I like someone who's year of the tiger, so no matter what I knew I had to write a story about this couple. :)**_

* * *

Hiro scowled at the girls flirtatiously puckering their lips and batting their eyelashes at him.

" Move, uglies! I can't see!" Hiro waved the back of his hand to emphasize his meaning. Through the thick glass, none of them heard his hurtful comment. Mistaking his gesture, the flirty girls waved back at him.

Feeling uncomfortable seeing her friend and a crowd of girls swoon over Hiro, Kisa hugged her books tightly and walked to class. Soon after, the bell rang. Remembering where they were, the group of girls dispersed, each going their separate ways to their first class.

After pulling himself free from the thick bush outside the window, Hiro quickly ran into the building. He looked around, making sure no one was still putting on their slippers, and there wasn't. He was completely alone, no witnesses whatsoever.

"Which one was it?"

Hiro bent down, examining every pair of shoes in the square cubbies. The crowd of girls had kept him from memorizing which one Kisa had put her shoes in. Out of a row of thirty cubbies, he narrowed it down to two pairs of penny loafers located in the middle.

One pair was clean and well polished, the exact condition Kisa likes to keep her shoes. Maybe it's because she used to be possessed by the spirit of the tiger, since she seems to take great pride in her appearance, keeping her clothes wrinkle-free and spotless. A trait most people found annoying, except Hiro.

The other pair of shoes looked too dirty and worn down to belong to Kisa. There was, however, a cute tiger carved into the brown leather heel of the left shoe. Having lived possessed by the tiger spirit for a long time, Kisa developed a strong admiration for the tiger, something most of the Sohmas didn't feel for their vengeful spirits. She even owned a huge tiger pillow and tiger plushie!

"Either shoe could be hers." Hiro held out his envelope, debating on which cubbie he should put it in.

"Tell the teacher I left my book in my cubbie!" A girl shouted. Pressed on time, and not wanting anyone to see him do this, Hiro hastily shoved the white envelope into the cubbie on his right, the one with the tiger carving. His sneakers squeaked against the floor as he skid to a stop at the end of the wall of cubbies, turning sharply to hide behind it.

"Is someone there?" The girl asked, peering down the aisle of cubbies, not seeing the tip of Hiro's shoe sticking out from the behind it.

Hiro tensed, hearing the girl walk closer. He was preparing to make a run for it, until the girl stopped halfway down the row of cubbies . Hiro relaxed a little. Hoping it was Kisa, Hiro leaned forward and peeked out from his hiding spot.

It wasn't Kisa.

The girl, wearing thick rimmed glasses with two braids touching either shoulder, bent down and reached into one of the cubbies.

Hiro froze with fear.

The girl smiled, flashing the pink braces on her teeth while pulling her books out, along with the white envelope Hiro had stuck in earlier.

A name clicked in Hiro's brain: Ren; Kisa's recently acquired friend. Her only friend besides him. More importantly, it wasn't Kisa's cubbie he'd slipped the note in... it was Ren's.

Hiro stepped out from his hiding spot. No matter what, he couldn't let Ren read the embarrassing confession he wrote for Kisa. That letter was meant for Kisa and only her. Nobody else deserved to read what's in his heart. If anyone besides Kisa reads it, he'd die from embarrassment!

Worse, it'd embarrass Kisa!

"Hey!"

Ren jumped.

" Are you talking to me?" She asked while pointing to herself.

Hiro resisted the urge to point out the obvious. He couldn't risk hurting Kisa's new friend, or else she'd never forgive him.

Hiro nodded.

Ren smiled." Hiro Sohma is talking to me!" She started to hop in place, reminding Hiro a lof of Momiji. Ren realises what she's doing and stops, blushing slightly. " Sorry. I was...so happy I couldn't hold it in." Ren caressed one of her braids, trying to be cool." So, what did you want to talk about?"

"That's not for you." Hiro said, pointing at the envelope Ren was holding.

"Um. . .if it's not for me than why was it in my cubbie?" Ren asked, fanning her face with the envelope.

"Sorry but that letter is for. . .for. . .someone else." Hiro blushed, getting irritated with having to explain himself to Ren." I put it in your cubbie by mistake. Now give it back!"

"This letter is from you?!" Ren shouted, apparently not having payed attention to what Hiro had said after that. She let out a high-pitched squeal. Hiro covered his ears, not sure what to expect the strange girl to do next. Her next move wasn't what Hiro had anticipated. "Hiro Sohma gave me a letter! I have to show this to Kisa!"

"NO!" Hiro shouted, but Ren didn't hear him .

Ren galloped away, squealing and shouting,"Kisa!Kisa! Kiiiiiisa!" Her voice echoing through the hall.

"Give it back!" Hiro yelled, running after the energetic Ren.

**+.+.+.+.**

Kisa sat in the last desk of her row, in the corner of the room, closest to the back door. Originally, she had started out in the front seat, moving to the nearest vacant seat when a female student told her that she had already claimed the front seat.

When a second female student told her to move, that she was sitting at her desk, Kisa realised she was being bullied. To stop this seemingly never ending "game" of musical-desk Kisa gathered her books and took her place at the last desk, leaving three vacant desks in front of her for other students-most likely girls, since girls travel in groups like sharks, to choose from.

_It's okay, I like being in the last row. Back here I'm invisible. Nobody will notice me_, Kisa told herself to make her feel better.

Too shy to look anywhere else besides the chalkboard and her female mid thirties teacher lecturing in the front of the room, Kisa didn't notice the boys in the row across from her, with their mouths open, gawking at her.

The two boys pulled out a blank sheet of paper, beginning their unspoken game of: Whoever gets the girl wins!

At the same time, the two boys crumpled their papers into a ball, then, when the teacher's back was turned, they threw the balls of paper at Kisa.

She flinched as one hit her on the forehead, while the other, thrown with too much force, flew past her and out the open window, landing somewhere into the hall.

Both boys covered their mouths with their hands to muffle their giggles.

Kisa's cheeks burned with rage and embarrassment. Not understanding that the boys wanted her to open the paper ball on her desk and read its contents, Kisa pushed the ball of paper off of her desk, letting it land on the lonely floor.

Kisa gripped her pencil tightly as two more balls of paper were thrown at her, both landing safely onto her desk. She pushed the balls of paper off her desk and ignored the boys who threw them, glancing desperately at the ticking clock, wishing class would hurry up and end.

"Kisa!" A loud voice called. The students stopped taking notes to stare out the open slider door, knowing that the person who yelled would fly down the hall at any minute. The teacher, Ms. Nishi, was too absorbed in her lecture to notice that her students were not focused on her.

"Kisa!" The voice shouted, closer this time.

Ms. Nishi closed the small mythology book she was reading from and set it carefully on her desk, preparing herself to venture into the hall to investigate the student calling out for Kisa. Ms. Nishi makes it to the entrance before being shoved out of the way by a panting, smiling girl with thick glasses.

"Ren?" Kisa squeaked, her voice cracking a bit.

Ren's eyes darted around the room, finding the light strawberry -blond-not-quite-orange-haired Kisa in the back of the room, her large yellow eyes making contact with Ren's.

Ren smiled widely." Kisa! I found you!" Thanks to Ren, every pair of eyes in the classroom settled upon Kisa.

Ms. Nishi recovered from her shock and started to question Ren when another person,Hiro, bombarded into the room, shoving her hard into the door.

Hiro pointed his finger in Ren's face." I want it back! Now!" He wiped away the sweat from his brow, unable to believe this girl could run so fast, faster than Rin Sohma even.

Ren ignored him, waving the envelope in the air playfully." Don't be shy. I just want to read it to Kisa, then I'll give it back"

"Read what?" Kisa asked, having silently crept to Hiro's side.

Hiro jumped." K-kisa! What...what are you doing here?"

"This is my class."

"Kisa!" Ren waved the envelope close to Kisa's face." Hiro gave me a love letter!"

"Read it to us!" One of the students shouted.

Hiro's entire body turned an intense shade of red. He shook his head at Kisa." No it isn't like that. Don't misunderstand Kisa!"

Kisa gave him a hurt look.

Noticing Hiro is distracted with Kisa, Ren hastily ripped open the top half of the envelope and pulled out the letter, letting the envelope fall to the ground. Clearing her throat, Ren began to read the note aloud."_ My dearest Kisa. . ."_ Ren's expression fell slightly." Aw. It really wasn't for me."

Hiro lunged for the letter, but Ren easily glided it away from him. Being an inch taller, she easily held it out of his reach.

Hiro clenched his jaw . _I can't punch her. That's something Kyo would do. I wont do that. I'm better than that. I wont be like Kyo, I wont be like Kyo. . . _Seeing no other option besides using violence, which Kisa would never forgive him for, Hiro doesn't attempt to snatch the letter from Ren again. Resigned to his fate, he fumed quietly to himself, cursing himself for being as idiotic as Kyo. Putting a love letter in a box he was fifty percent sure belonged to Kisa was, without a doubt, stupid.

Ren took a few steps away from Hiro. Certain she'd be able to pull the letter away in case he tried to snatch it, Ren continued reading:

_" My Dearest Kisa,_

_I want you to know something very important.I...love you."_

The boys chuckled; the girls snapped their eyes hatefully, each wishing the letter was written for them instead of Kisa.

_" It's not a secret. Kyo, Yuki, Haru, Momiji, Rin, the monkey, that perverted dog, Hatori, Akito, and even that dim witted Tohru- - all of them know that I love you._

_I know, it doesn't make sense for a sheep to love a tiger. We're completely different, but that's what I like most._

_Kisa, I love how soft your voice is whenever you say my name. I love the way your tiger hair shines under the sun, radiating your beauty. It makes me happy when you rely on me, even for the tiniest of things. It's comforting knowing I can talk to you about anything, you're so kind, I know you would never think badly of me._

_But. . . "_

The entire class-besides Kisa, who was hiding her face in her hands, raised their eyebrows.

"Did he really just add a 'but?'

Ren nodded." Yes people. It's true. There is a 'but'. . . " She cleared her throat." Let's continue."

_"I hate it when Haru holds you close when he hugs you. I hate it when you hug him back, just as affectionately. I hate it when Yuki acts princely towards you, yuck! He has his own woman, he should leave you alone. Most of all, I hate it when you're around Tohru Honda._

_I hate how she shamelessly hugs you. I hate how she enjoys stealing you away from me at any chance she gets! It annoys me so much! If there was one person I could strangle and get away with doing it, that would definitely be her."_

" Psycho." Ren added in a sing-song voice.

_"As much as these people annoy me, as much as they anger me, all of that disappears when I see your happy face. Kisa, I would never ask you to cut off ties with them. If it makes you happy to be with them, to be doted on and hugged affectionately by them, then I'm happy too. Kisa, your happiness comes first in my heart. Your happiness means more to me than my own. Anything you ask of me, I would do it in a heartbeat._

_I'm sorry I couldn't protect you against Akito. I'm sorry I wasn't there when you were being bullied at school. For now on, I promise to always be at your side. I promise to make you happy, forever. Kisa, I have one final, important question._

_Will you be my girlfriend?_

_(_) YES_

_(_) NO_

_(_) I'll think about it_

_Don't let this letter ruin our friendship. If you're not ready to be my girlfriend, then I will wait. If you will never see me as more than a friend, I'll still stick by you. I will always be your best friend. No matter what._

_Love,_

_Hiro Sohma "_

"Aww." Ren squealed, lightly waving the letter around." He drew a little sheep cuddled up next to a cute tiger, with little hearts drawn around them. See?" Some of the students, the more romantic ones, found the letter to be sweet. The rest of the class just found it amusing and, hey, it saved them from the boring passage Ms. Nishi was reading to them.

Hiro took a deep breath, and after prying Kisa's hands away from her face, said." I love you Kisa. Will you be my girlfriend?"

Kisa glanced up at Hiro before glancing back at the floor. Gulping, Kisa ran down the aisle, gathered her books, and ran out the back door of the classroom. Hiro stared sadly at the open door.

"Ooh. Better luck next time." Ren said, patting Hiro on the back, pissing him off. She took a sticky note from Ms. Nishi's desk and scribbled her phone number on it. "Here. If Kisa says 'no' then feel free to give me a call, I'm single."

"I think she just said hell no." Hiro muttered, automatically taking the note from Ren. Even if she was the last female on the planet, Hiro would never call Ren! She just embarrassed Kisa and him in front of the entire class!

Ms. Nishi cleared her throat." What's your name?"

"Hiro Sohma!" Ren squealed, raising her hand.

Ms Nishi scowled at Hiro." That was cute and everything, but as punishment, you are to clean this class after school for a week!"

"But I'm not in this class!" Hiro whined. This day wasn't going how he planned it!

**+.+.+.+.**

An hour after school let out.

Hiro wiped the last of the chalk from the chalkboard. He took one final look at the classroom. The chalkboard, floor, and desks didn't t have a single smudge on them. "I clean better than her own students. It's too bad I'm not in her class, I'd love to see the surprised look on her face tomorrow."

Hiro glanced sadly at Kisa's empty desk, before turning off the lights and beginning his lonely walk home.

After the curse broke, most of the Sohmas decided to live away from the main house, including Kisa and Hiro's family. Aware of their friendship, their mothers decided not to move far from each other, they didn't want to split their children apart. As Hiro slowly approached Kisa's house, he wished he didn't live in the same neighborhood as her. After today, he was sure Kisa would never want to see him again.

"Hiro."

Hiro jumped, having heard the tree in front of him speak.

"Hiro." Kisa said, coming out from behind the tree.

Hiro relaxed slightly."Kisa, you almost gave me a heart attack."

"Sorry."

"No. I'm sorry Kisa. I didn't mean to embarrass you." Hiro said, shamefully looking into her big innocent eyes. She shook her head, letting him know she wasn't mad.

Together, they walked to the front gate of Kisa's house. Hiro held open the gate for her.

" You can forget about that letter. I don't want things to be awkward between us." Hiro said, adding." And for now on don't walk home without me. I can't protect you from perverts if I'm not beside you!"

Kisa smiled.

Hiro smiled back.

"I'll walk you and...Ren...to school tomorrow morning." Hiro said as Kisa inched past him through her gate. Kisa stopped. Hiro looked down at her questioningly. Blushing, she held out a crumpled letter, running quickly into her house after Hiro took it from her.

Hiro watched Kisa slam the front door before opening the letter. His eyes widened, this was his letter! The one Ren had read to the class.

_(_) YES_

_(_) NO_

_(_X_) I'll think about it_

Hiro carefully folded the letter and placed it in his pocket. He glanced up at Kisa's window and smiled as Kisa quickly hid behind her curtain.

_She'll think about it huh? _Hiro whistled a perky tune all the way home.

"How was your first day of highschool?" His mother asked, greeting him as he walked through the door.

"It was the best day ever." Hiro replied.

**- END -**


End file.
